Claude and Michelle Blackstock did not know their son Theo, now nine, had Down’s Syndrome until five days after his birth.

Both he and his wife are now members of Down’s Syndrome Oxford (DSO), a charity that this week hoped to train teachers in the latest education techniques for children with the condition.

Theo, from Begbroke, attends mainstream school, is a Cub Scout, has swimming lessons and lots of friends.

His father said: “Theo has had to work harder to do the things most typically-developing children find easy and we do have to put more effort in to encourage him, which can be challenging at times. But it makes you appreciate every step of his development rather than take it for granted.

“I also feel it is very important that teachers in mainstream schools are given regular training in teaching children with learning disabilities and that is why the DSO conference is so important.

“Michelle has given her special- needs teaching experience to some key teaching staff within Theo’s education and this has had a massive impact on helping him reach his potential.”

He added: “We are fortunate in that Theo has a Law Abiding Education Statement and that the local education authority supply a nominal amount of hours for a Learning Support Assistant (LSA) to assist solely with him.

“We still come across an old- fashioned attitude to special-needs teaching sometimes, but both Michelle and I prefer to approach this by breaking down the walls and building bridges instead.”

DSO is a charity run by just 20 parents and its two-day conference, which culminates today at the Oxford Centre on the Banbury Road, will outline the latest research on how to develop Down’s children’s numeracy, literacy, communication skills and their inclusion in the classroom.

More than 100 delegates signed up to attend the conference, which has been partly funded by a Lottery grant.

DSO chairman Katherine Horrocks, whose son Alexander has Down’s, said the event has a vital role.

“DSO has always seen ‘educating the educators’ as one of our most important roles and as a parent I know that all children are special, but those with Down’s Syndrome need extra help at school to help them get the most out of their time there,” she said.

“I hope these training days will give them some practical skills to take away and implement and help them understand the possibilities of what can be achieved given the right support and guidance.”

Another Oxfordshire parent backing the aims of the conference is Lucy Baxter, 53, from Steventon, near Didcot.

The adoptive mother of three sons with Down’s Syndrome, Miss Baxter said: “There are many dynamic people who are determined to make changes in the education system and I am very proud of the fact that they are a force to be reckoned with.”

But she said her son Otto’s potential had often been overlooked.

“In the end he only did seven years at school and while I have no doubt he could have achieved a lot more given the chance, I am very proud of what he has and continues to achieve.”

An actor, stand-up comedian and entertainer, Otto Baxter is currently preparing to star in his own one-man play, which is being written by a well-known, but, as yet, undisclosed author. He has also appeared in two BBC television documentaries – the most famous of which followed his as-yet unsuccessful quest to lose his virginity. The second saw him visit Las Vegas.

Miss Baxter said: “Otto has his own website and Twitter account, he has backpacked around India and Japan in his gap year and was recently plastered over eight pages in an American glossy men’s magazine.

“I am now hopeful that because of organisations like DSO, many children with Down’s, like Otto, will grow up refusing to take no for an answer.”

Otto, who says his aim is simply: “To boldly go where no person with Down’s Syndrome has been before,” was reluctant to reveal too much about his upcoming one-man show, but said it will describe his experiences growing up with Down’s.

Down’s Syndrome is a genetic condition known as trisomy, where a person inherits an extra copy of one chromosome.

People with the syndrome have three copies of chromosome 21 rather than the usual two.

This additional genetic material changes the finely-tuned balance of the body and results in characteristic physical and intellectual features.

It is not known why this abnormality occurs, but instances of Down’s increase with maternal age and it affects around one in 1,000 babies born in the UK – about 750 babies a year.

For more information about DSO contact Elsa Gill on 01865 741216 or send an email to elsagill@aol.com